Ellis Lucia / The Times-Picayune archiveGrand Isle, Louisiana's only barrier island with residential development, will be subject to more and longer flooding events in the future because of sinking soils beneath the island, combined with rising water levels in the Gulf of Mexico.

"...(Y)ou can't be for fixing New Orleans levees and against preventing further erosion and flooding in Fourchon and Grand Isle.

"And telling people not to live near the coast is not practical either. That will take care of itself if these mitigation plans dont work, and they won't.

"So, my main point is that we have no choice but to try preventing further damage, but I'm not hopeful that any of it will work. What will work is to curtail development (both commercial and residential) thru stricter zoning, more diligent evalution of loanees, higher insurance rates in flood zones. People will cry about it of course."